Locomotive-pilot.



W. H. MAGKORELL 6a D. E. WINFRBE.

LOCOMOTIVB PILOT. 'APPLIoATIoN FILED 00T. 5, 1912.

Patented July 8, 1913.

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W. H. MACKORELL & D. E. WINPREE.

LOGGMOTIVB PILOT. APPLIOATION FILED 00T. 5. 1912.

Qu. 12. 0u 1M :E 00H s .Wvgr T .Mm dn es Lma m DL UNTER@ @DATES PATENT QFFIQE.

WILLIAM I'I. MACKORELL AND DOUGLAS E. WINFREE, 0F FORT SMITH, ARKANSAS.

LOCOMO'IIVE-PILOT.

To all fr0/om t may conce/m Be .it known that we, VILLIAM H. Macke- RnLL and DoUGLas E. VINFREE, citizens of the United States, residing,l at Fort Smith, in the county of Sebastian and State of Arkansas, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Locomotive-Pilots; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invent-ion, such as will enable others skilled in the art to `which it appertains to make and use the saine.

Our invention relates to the construction of locomotive pilots, and has for its object the production of a simple, strong, durable, etlicient and easily assembled device of this character which shall be readily adjustable to vary its vertical dimension and to vary its height above the rails, thus making a single type of pilot of uniform construction and dimensions suttlce for all locomotive engines of standard gage, regardless of their size or class, and thus, also, rendering it unnecessary to disconnect and remove the pilot from the locomotive in the event that the breaking; of a spring, Springhanger, or the like, upon the locomotive should let the pilot down upon the track. Our invention, therefore, reduces the expense attendant upon constructing special pilots to tit locomotives of various different. sizes and classes, and likewise reduces the cost of repairs and maintenance.

Generally stated, we accomplish the before-noted objects by :forming` the pilot with a vertically adjustable basal 'trame to which are pivotally secured the lower sections of telescopingg,` ribs o-r slats, the upper sections of the laterally disposed slats or ribs beingl pivotally connected to the drawwbeam of the locomotive or to breast plates thereon, the upper sections ot the centrally arranged ribs being pivotally connected to a transversely extending support which is suspended from the drawbeain through the instrumentality of a plurality of the upper, laterally dis" posed rib-sections, and means boing' provided for vertically adjustingl the basal pl ate and its pivotally attached lower rib-sections with respect to the draw-beam ot' the locomotive.

ln the drawings chosen for the purpose of illustra ting our invention, the sco-pc whereof is pointed out in the claims.` Figari-i l is a front elevation of a. locomotive pilot embodying our invention, illustrating it as con- Specication of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 5, 1912.

Patented July 8, 1913.

Serial No. 724,108.

nected to the draw-beam of a locomotive; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the construction .shown in Fin. l g Fig. f3 is a side elevation oit' the pilot, showingthe pilot coupler and showingalso, in dotted lines, the pilot as adjusted to its uppermost position, whereby 'its vertical dimension is reduced; Fig'. Al is a sectional view, taken in the plane oit the line Lt--- t, Fig. It; Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view, taken in the plane of the line .t3-5, Fig. l; Fig. 6 is a View, partly in plan and partly in horizontal section, taken on the line (SMG, Fig. 5, further illustrating the detail of construction shown in Fig. o; Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view, taken in the plane of the line 7--7, Fig. 3; Fig. 8 is a detail sectional view, taken in the plane of the line 8MS, Fig. 1t; Fig. 9 is a detail cross-section of one oi the telescfming ribs, the seetion beingI taken through the overlapping portions of the rib-sections, in the plane of the lino QMS), Fig'. 1; Fig'. 'l0 is a det-ail view corresponding to Fig. t), but illustrating' the form of cross-section of the central rib, the view beingtaken in the plane ot the line lO--l,t), Fin'. l; and Fig: 11 is a detail sectional view, taken in the plane of the line iiwn.. Fig. li.

vSimilar parts are indicated by corresponding' reference letters throughout the several views.

le will now proceed to describe our inventio-n. `more fully so that others, skilled in the art', to which it appcrtains may apply the same.

ln the drawings, A indicates the drawbeam o-r pilot beam of a locomotive, and l the coupler secured thereto in the usual or any approved manner and proieetinaforwardly through a central opening' B in the upper part of the pilot.

The pilot itself may be broadly stated to consist of a telescopinp; frame in combination with teleseopinp,` ribs or slats the eoaction of which parts enables the vertical dimension of the pilot to be increased or diminished so as to adapt the pilot to various sizes and classes ol locomotives of standard gage, and also to allow the pilot to be raised or lowered with relation to the track rails when. lor any reason, such an adjustment becomes necessary or desirable.

The telescoping' frame o-'l the pilot` in the present. instance, is shown as comprised of ln'east-plates l, "l that are bolted 'to the draw-beam or pilot beam B ot the locomo- 'breast-'plates l, as at. 2a, 2a,

tive, vertically disposed telescopinghangers 2, 2'which adjustably support a? triangular base-plate 3 at its rear, hangers 4, 4, in thev The uppersections of the hangers 2, 2,4

which may be conveniently riveted to,y the are preferably channeled, as at'21?, for'thereception of the lower sections of saidhangers, the latter being securedto `the rear cross-bar 3a of base plate 3, as, for example, kby rivets 2C.

yIn Order maintain the proper relation and coaction of the upperf andlwer sections of the hangers` 2, 2, aswellvr as to permit their 'sliding one upon the otherl lfor purposes-of adjustment, the coacting sectionsof thehangers Vare connected by, bolts 2d (seel Figs. l,l and 3), one of said sections of each hanger being provided with an elongated slot 2e. y

f Instead of providing t-he intermediate vertical slides C, `C (see Figs, l, 2 and 4,) with bolt and slot devices so that the sldable sec tions may be ,clamped together, as in thecase of thehangers 2,'. the relatively movable sections of the slides C, Care, as shown, preferably unprovided with anyl clamping devices, since they serve as gpides rather than Abraces 5, 5.

as hangers. j l l A Secured to the under face of the drawbeam or pilot beam B rearwardly of and in line with the outer hangers v2, 2, are hanger The guiding and clamping bolts 12d, before noted, preferably pass through these braces, as well as through the hangers 2, 2.

l4, 4 indicate turn-buckles, preferably four in number, the outer turn-buckles being disposed vertically vand the intermediate turn-buckles extending diagonally down ward and forward from the breast-plates l to the forward angular member of the base plate 3, which they adjustably support in similar manner to the hangers 2, before noted. Two of the turn-buckles 4, 4, arey located near the lateral edges of the pilot, while the intermediate two are preferablyr located within those telescoping ribs S which constitute the'lateral boundaries of the coupler opening B of the pilot. These turnbuckles are utilized to raise or lower the bottom member 3 of the telescopingframe to thus vary the vertical dimensionsof 'the pilot and also its distance above the rails; and as the angle of inclination of the intermediate turn-buckles must necessarily change in accordance with various adjustments of the pilot, the upper members of these turnbucklesare pivotally connected to brackets 4e' which'are secured to the breast-plates l. The lower members of these turn-buckles are in'lile manner pivoted on brackets 4b that are securedto the base plate 3 of the pilot frame.

6, 7 and 8 indicate axseries of telescoping ribs or slats each. comprised of,two`inembers the lLipper i of which V'slides within the lower. These, ribs incline downwardly' and forwardly from the breast-platesl, lvptor the basepplate 3V and constitute, theo'uter ,memr bers of the pilot'prop'er. 'llie'general cross section of these ribsI is inform of a channel, the free,edgesfof,` the outer member being turned inward, aspat 16a (seeFigsfand 10j, to confine theinner member..l The central rib 6 is preferably curved orl inclinedforwardly from both sides at the'I front,L ,(see Fig. 10), while theV forward facesoff the lateral ribs or slats7`and 8 are preferably of quadrantal form, as shown vin llTigsf and 9 and are arranged topresentafl'a't faceor web toward the centralfribbl The length ofl the. telescoping A.ribs 6, 47 and Svappropriately varies according to the position each occupies in the pilot', 'as `will be readily understood, the centrallyfdispo'sed ribs G and .7 beingshort tofprovidevfor ,the coupler opening B7, and the outerl ribsf'S, which extend from'A the breast-plates l` to the base-plate 3, being correspondinglyi longer and having pivotal connections with both the breast-plates and the base-plate while the intermediate ribs 6 andy 7 extend only from base-plate A3 to a lcross bar or Y angle plate 9 to "which 'their'upper,endsv arel pivoted` The pivotal connectionsY at the up? per and lower ends 4of all thev ribsk maybe convenientlymade through bolts and 4brackets of the same characteras ,those more par; ticularly shown at lO and lO' in Figs. 'an'd i3.'v

The angle plate 9, to which the upper, members of thetelescoping ribs or slats (i and 7 are pivoted is secured at itsends to the two inner main 'ribs 8, 8 that form the lateral boundaries of the coupler openings B of the pilot. For this purpose thelends of the angle plate are preferably closed or boxed, as by notching and folding the flanges of the angle plate in the form indi.- cated in Fig. 5, and the lower members of the ribs are provided with elongated `slots 8 (see Figs. 4 and ll) through which V and through. bolt holes in the upper members of said ribs 8 are passed bolts 9av that extend through the ends of angle-plate 9, said bolts being provided with nuts vfor clamping` the ends of the angle-plate 9 to, theadjacent ribs 8. In ordertoy provide for the connection of the angle-plate@ to the ribs 8, ,and also to properly house the intermediate turn-l buckles 4, as hereinbefore noted', these inner or main ribs 8 on each side of the coupler opening B are preferably made somewhatlarger in cross-section than the remainder of the main ribs 8.

When the nuts on the bolts 9a are loosened to permit the telescoping ot the upper and lower sections of the ribs S to which the angle-plate 9 is attached, and after the nuts on the bolts 2d of the hangers Q are loosened to permit the members ot' said hangers to slide on each other', the rotation of the turnbucliles el, in the proper direction e'li'ects either a raising or lowering et the baseplate 3 ot the it' ame as may be desired, thus either increasing or decreasing the vertical dimensions of the pilot.

As hereinbefore noted, the ends of the telescoping slats or ribs 8 are pivotally con nected with the breastplates l and with the base-plate 3, while the ends oil" telescoping slats or ribs 6 and 7 are similarly connected with the angle-plate 9 and with the baseplate These pivo-tal connections may be advantageously made through brackets and pivot bolts of the character more particularly illustrated at l0 and l0LL in Figs. 5 and (3. The brackets 10, as shown, are preterably of U-shape in cross-section and are curved or bent to properly fit inside of the ribs and permit the pivotal movement of the latter on bolts l()u which connect the ribs and brackets.

In order to make provision for changes in the angle of inclination of the ribs 6, 7 and S incident to the Vertical movement of base plate 8, the ends of the telescoping ribs adjacent to their pivotal connections are rounded or beveled, as at l()b and l0, so that when the pilot is adjusted to its full height, as indicated in full lines in Figs, 3 and 1l, the upper ends of the upper sections ot the ribs engage the breast-plate l and the angleplate 9, respectively, and the lower ends oit the lower rib-sections engage the f base-plate 3.

l/Ve claim:

l. In a locomotive pilot, the combination of trame members adjustable with relation to each other to change the vertical dimension ot the pilot, and ribs comprising members Which are adjustable on each other to vary the length of said ribs.

2. In a locomotive pilot, the combination of a frame having members adjustable With respect to each other to change the vertical dimension ot the pilot, and ribs comprising members longitudinally adjustable upon each other to change the length of said ribs, the ribs at their opposite ends being pivotally connected with said trame.

3. In a locomotive pilot, the combination with a frame having a base plate, a breast-- plate, and interposed vertically disposed hangers which are adjustable in length, of ribs comprising members that are adjustable longitudinally with respect to each other.

Ll. In a locomotive pilot, the combination with a frame having a base-plate and vertically disposed hangers comprised of members which are longitudinally adjustable with respect to each other to change the length ot said hangers, of ribs comprised of members which are longitudinally adjustable with respect to each other to change the length of said ribs, and means for adjusting said -frame members and ribs.

5. ln a locomotive pilot, the combination with a frame having breast-plates and a base-plate adjustable toward and from the breast-plates, ot' a series oi ribs comprised ot members which are longitudinally adjustable with respect to each other, and turn-lmekles which adjustably connect the breastplates and base-plate. i

6. In a locomotive pilot, the ycombination With a 'lrame having members which are vertically adjustable toward and from each other to change the vertical dimension of the pilot, of a series ot' ribs of dilterent lengths, said ribs comprising members which are longitudinally adjustable with respect to each other, the centrally disposed ribs being shorter than the late 'ally disposed ribs, and a transversely extending member to which the upper members of the centrally disposed ribs are connected, said transversely extending member being connected to the adjacent laterally disposed ribs.

7. In a locomotive pilot, the combination with a frame comprised of members which are vertically adjustable toward and trom each other to change the vertical dimension o'l the pilot, oi? ribs comprised of members which are longitudinally adjustable with -respect to each other to change the length of said ribs, said ribs having beveled ends and being pivotally connected to the trame members adjacent to said beveled ends, and means for adjusting the frame members vertically toward and from each other.

ln testimony Whereoi we aliix our signatures, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

VLLTAM. H. MACKORELL. DOUG-LAS E. lVINFltlE.

Vitnesses:

HUGH E. Bean, Lnon'r'rn D. Kammer.

Copies of this patent may he obtained 'for five cents each,

Washington, D. C. 

